Half to thomas hall



' (No Model.)

0. C. HOLT. :RAI'L FASTENER.

No. 502,361. Patented Aug. 1, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. HOLT, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOTHOMAS HALL, OF SAME PLACE.

RAIL-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 502,361, dated. August1, 1893.

Application filed April 28, 1892. Serial No. 431,001. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. HOLT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Rail-Fastener, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail fasteners.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive rail fastener adapted to be readily applied to a rail, andcapable of securely holding a rail in proper position on a cross-tie.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings-Figure l is aperspective view of a rail fastenerconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clamp.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw ings.

1 designates a rail which is secured upon a cross-tie 2 by clamps 3arranged at each side of the rail and engaging the bottom flangesthereof in a manner similar to spikes. The clamp 3 consists of a platewhich has its inner portion bearing upon the bottom flange of the railand having its inner edge 4 beveled and conforming to the configurationof the rail at the bottom of the web. The outer end of the clamp isprovided on its lower face with a shoulder 6 and adepending chisel edge7 which is adapted to be driven into the crosstie 2, the shoulderbearing against the upper face of the tie and holding the body of theflange in an approximately horizontal position and forming a spacebetween the tie and the clamp at the edge of the bottom flange of therail to impart spring to the clamp. The clamp is provided with anopening 8 near its outer end, and it is secured by means of a wood screw9 passing through the said opening 8, and the space 10 and adapted tocause the clamp to securely hold the rail.

It will be seen that the rail fastener is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, and is capable of securely holding a railin proper position on a cross-lie.

Instead of employing the wood screw for securing the clamps to thecrosstic, bolts or spikes may be employed.

What I claim is In a rail-fastener, the combination with a cross-tie anda rail, of L-shaped clamping plates arranged at each side of the railand each consisting of a resilient flat horizontal branch resting uponthe base of the rail and projecting beyond the same and a depending lugarranged at the outer end of the horizontal branch and having a chiseledge forming a driving point and above the driving point provided with aflat shoulder extending below the under surface of the horizontal branchand located some distance from the rail and forming an intermediatespace between the ends of the clamp and the base of the rail and betweenthe tie and the clamp, said horizontal branch having an opening arrangedbetween the ing and the rail, and a regulating screw passing through theopening of each plate and causing the same to clamp therail,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. HOLT.

Witnesses:

JAMES MURPHY, CHARLES U. BELL.

